'Inocente' Oscar Win Proves Power Of Kickstarter

February 27th, 2013 2:11pm EST

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In the three years since Kickstarter was founded, movies funded by users on the site have won one Academy Award and received six nominations.

Inocente became the first "crowd funded" film on Kickstarter to win an Academy Award, winning for best documentary short subject. Two other films that generated funds through the website were nominated in both short documentary and full length: Kings Point and Buzkashi Boys.

294 backers put in over $50,000 into Inocente via the website, with four backers offering $2,500 a piece. Kickstarter allows those seeking funds to reward backers at certain levels, and those who gave $2,500 were given one of ten prints of an Inocente painting. The funding raised was used to help promote the film at festivals and online.

Inocente follows the life of a homeless 15 year-old girl named Inocente in San Diego who wants to become an artist. Her father was deported for domestic abuse and her mother is an alcoholic who once attempted to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge while holding her daughter's hand. Inocente finds an outlet in art, creating masterful pieces that gather attention and result in her getting a chance to exhibit her pieces at a high profile art show.